yesterday

Obviously, another day passed during which I didn't write. I was one cranky son of a bitch yesterday. It wasn't just that Bush won. That was bad enough. But also eleven out of eleven states passing initiatives pre-emptively banning gay marriage, and in some cases, even turning over existing civil union laws. Unbe-fucking-lievable. I'm still majorly, majorly pissed off about this. Anyway...

I also had a lot of crap to get done at work yesterday. I'm not gonna talk in my blog about where I work, because it'd be nice to occasionally bitch without worrying about it. But I build the online shopping cart for a small software company. It's excrutiatingly dull. And yesterday was a day in which I had to make live two code releases, which is always a joy. Bleah.

And then I had rehearsal. For what? This is the piece about me that's gonna seem insanely out of place for folks that are only familiar with me peripherally, or have read stuff like "Pink Fuzzy Bunny Slippers" in NFG. Rehearsal was for Praise Team. For those who've never heard that phrase, that's a band that plays at church. I sing (moderately well) and play guitar (not so well). I really didn't want to go, because I feel like the lone liberal there (although I'm not completely sure that's true), but nobody mentioned the election at all, so that was good. Plus, of the four songs we're doing this week, two are my favorites: "Trading My Sorrows" and "Grace Like Rain." I sing lead on both of these.

I first learned "Trading My Sorrows" from listening to a CD recorded by The Vine Band, which is led by the husband of a writing friend of mine. I don't think she likes a lot of folks to intermingle her writing life with her personal life, so I won't mention who that is. That said, her husband is one of the nicest guys I've ever met and is also an incredibly talented guy. So when we first played "Trading My Sorrows" in rehearsal about a year ago, it was new to everyone in the band but me, and I just sorta took it over. It rocks. And the lyrics seem kinda apt right now for this dark, dark time:

I'm trading my sorrows
I'm trading my shame
I'm laying them down
For the joy of the Lord

I'm trading my sickness
I'm trading my pain
I'm laying them down
For the joy of the Lord

Yes, Lord

I'm pressed but not crushed
Persecuted not abandoned
Struck down but not destroyed
I am blessed beyond the curse
For his promise will endure
That his joy is going
To be my strength

Though my sorrows may last for the night
His joy comes with the morning

A good hopeful song, no? I'm sure folks who are vehemently anti-Christian (and I understand y'all--I used to be among you) won't much care for it, but I really dig the message of hope underlying this.

"Grace Like Rain" is the song we do for communion. We take communion the first Sunday of each month. We used to rotate what the communion song was, but for the past several months, we've been doing this song each time, so I guess people must like it okay. Personally, I love it. It's just a re-working of "Amazing Grace" in a more contemporary style. And it wails, baby. It hits both the bottom and the top of my range, which I love. I'm not crazy about stuff right in the middle of my range. I really prefer the stuff that makes me stretch out. They actually have to turn my microphone down a little on this one, because I just belt it (which probably has something to do with my sell-it-to-the-balcony theater background).

So. Rehearsal was good and started to lighten my mood. But that wasn't nearly the best part. I've been seeing a woman for about three months now who is just incredible. Our schedules are interesting, because she has a kid and I have two and we have to coordinate schedules with our exes. I also live a ferry ride and a bit of driving away from her. Well...

What with Halloween and the election and our usual schedules, we hadn't seen each other for six whole days. I dunno how we made it. Definitely the longest we've been apart since we started seeing each other. I won't go into a lot of detail, but... it was great. She just makes me swoon.

Y'know how sometimes when you're very much in love with one person, it colors your perceptions of the rest of the world? It's like that. I mean, I'm crazy about my kids, but like every parent, I have times when they get on my nerves a bit. This morning, several of those misbehaviors of theirs just made me smile, because, well... hell, they're kids! And they're acting like kids. More specifically, they're acting like my kids, and I'm happy enough with my life that I delight in passing along some of how life is lived. Does that make sense?

So. I didn't write last night. I was too busy singing and loving. I will be writing tonight, most certainly. Dunno what yet, but I'll be writing later.